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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · rash · press · rush · last · craft · ground · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. ground — a position
  3. craft — a skill
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rush — hurry
  6. can — a tin
  7. ground — crushed
  8. press — a publisher
  9. last — to go on
  10. rash — hasty
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. press — to push
  14. can — a tin
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. ground — the earth
  19. press — newspapers
  20. rash — a series
  21. craft — boats
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. key — the most important part

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com